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GODDARD at home

F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANS

TODDLER

UNDERWATER LIFE WEEK 7 • DAY 1

GODDARD AT HOME: F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANS 2

GODDARD AT HOME:F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANSTODDLER - UNDERWATER LIFE

Greeting

ACTIVITY After helping your child out of their crib or bed, allow them to pick out their shirt by choosing between two options. If available, maybe find shirts with underwater-life to choose from.

LEARNING SKILLS Communicating preferences, developing self-help skill

Materials Choice of shirts

Gathering Activity

ACTIVITY Snuggle with your toddler and read an ocean- or water-themed book. If you don’t have one, try this read-along, Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins. Describe the pictures and ask your toddler questions to encourage conversation. For example, “How many starfish do you see?” and “That fish is above the octopus!”

LEARNING SKILLS Developing interest in print, language development

Materials Ocean- or water-themed book or read-along

transition

ACTIVITY Put on some music and have your child dance like an octopus, a fish, a starfish and other sea creatures as you change activities or move to another room.

LEARNING SKILLS Gross motor skill development, symbolic play, creative expression

Materials Music, music player

GODDARD AT HOME: F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANS 3

GODDARD AT HOME:F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANSTODDLER - UNDERWATER LIFE

processing activity

ACTIVITY Make an “underwater ocean” by cutting up pieces of blue paper into strips and taping them around a coffee table, dangling down. If you don’t have blue paper, you can have your toddler color on paper with a blue marker. Have your toddler help you rip the paper instead of using scissors if you’d like.

Tape the strips of paper all around a table so they dangle down and put any sea toys (or bath toys) under the table. Encourage your child to play under the table pretending he or she is a sea creature. If you don’t have sea toys, any toys will do.

This is an activity that your child can do independently. When he or she starts to lose interest, add additional items such as ocean-themed toys, stuffed animals or books.

LEARNING SKILLS Proprioception development, symbolic play, sustaining independent play

Materials Blue paper (or white paper and blue marker or crayons), tape, animal toys

ACTIVITY Pull out a beach towel, (or bath towel if you don’t have one), and snuggle with your toddler on it. Find a favorite toy and have your child pretend to go swimming at the beach. You could put on ocean sounds in the background and talk with your child about what you would see at the beach.

Tell your child how much you enjoy pretending to be on the beach with them.

LEARNING SKILLS Symbolic play, building relationships with adults

Materials Towel, a favorite toy, ocean sounds from a music player

connection activity

GODDARD AT HOME: F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANS 4

GODDARD AT HOME:F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANSTODDLER - UNDERWATER LIFE

personal care interactions

ACTIVITY Have your child check the weather, and if the sun is shining, put sunscreen on your little one and have your child help you rub it into his or her skin.

LEARNING SKILLS Investigating the environment, self-help skills

Materials Sunscreen

ACTIVITY Encourage your child to count their bites during lunch today. You can ask your older toddler “How many bites do you think we have today?” Let him or her guess and then count to see. For a younger toddler, count each bite with him or her. Using your fingers to show your child the number of bites with help them too.

LEARNING SKILLSDeveloping an understanding of numbers and counting, exploring predictions

Materials N/A

mealtime

transition

ACTIVITY Encourage your toddler to show you his or her “crab claws” and crab walk or crawl to the next room or activity.

LEARNING SKILLS Coordinating movement, following directions

Materials N/A

GODDARD AT HOME: F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANS 5

GODDARD AT HOME:F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANSTODDLER - UNDERWATER LIFE

outside time

ACTIVITY While outside, sing some underwater songs with your child and use big motions and movements. Try “Ten Little Fishies,” “The Jellyfish” or a toddler favorite, “Baby Shark,” and act out the motions with your little one. Encourage him or her to “swim really fast!” like a shark by running all around the yard. Choose different sea creatures to act out, for example, jump like a dolphin, crawl like a starfish or roll like a wave.

LEARNING SKILLS Coordinating movement, symbolic play, gross motor skill development

Materials Song lyrics, websites

ACTIVITY Help your child settle down for a nap by drawing shapes on your child’s back and having him or her guess what shape you’re drawing. For young toddlers, talk about the shape you’re drawing. Ask what his or her favorite shape is and draw that one too.

LEARNING SKILLS Developing relationships with adults, shape awareness and recognition

Materials N/A

rest time

GODDARD AT HOME: F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANS 6

GODDARD AT HOME:F.L.EX.® DAILY ACTIVITY PLANSTODDLER - UNDERWATER LIFE

Child’s Choice

ACTIVITY Make three different buckets of varying toys. For example, bucket one can have blocks, baby dolls and a box. Bucket two can have people, cars and washcloths. Bucket three can have books, balls and animals. Be creative! Have your child choose one of the three buckets of toys. Put the other buckets up and offer the same choices the next day. Encourage your child to play with his or her bucket of toys independently. To keep your child’s interest all week, make the buckets only available during this time.

For young toddlers, have them choose between two buckets. If you don’t have buckets, feel free to use boxes or breathable bags.

LEARNING SKILLSCommunicating preferences, developing attention, cognitive flexibility and creativity, fine motor skill development, sustaining independent play

Materials Three buckets (or boxes or breathable bags), variety of toys

transition

ACTIVITY As your child wakes up, encourage them to swing their arms from side to side and up and down for some stretching.

Try these movements too:• Clap your hands above your head;• Clap your hands down by your feet;• Wiggle your feet with your hands;• Stretch really tall.

Use descriptive words such as side to side, up and down, above your head and down by your feet.

LEARNING SKILLSFollowing directions, language development, coordinating movements, gross motor skill development

Materials N/A